Moratorium Placed On Billboards and Cell Phone Towers

A six month moratorium is placed on new billboards and cell phone towers at last night's Yakima City Council meeting.

The decision was made after the Barge-Chestnut Neighborhood Association approached the council about a cell phone tower that Verizon wanted to build at a nearby church.

The group argued the tower would affect people's health and harm the property value of the homes in the Barge-Chestnut Historic District.

"I don't know what is historic about a 55 foot cell tower," said Michael Davison, "We're trying to keep this neighborhood looking beautiful. It's something that everyone in yakima is proud of. That's what brings a lot of people to Yakima, is this beautiful historic neighborhood throughout Barge-Chestnut."

The Yakima City Council will host discussions on the two topics next month.